The present invention relates to detergent and cleansing compositions, and more particularly to those detergent and cleansing compositions which have relatively low ocular irritation and yet exhibit good foam volume and improved foam stability.
Detergent and cleansing compositions, like most types of cleaning agents, generally comprise a mixture of one or more surfactants as the active ingredient, as well as builders, perfumes, coloring agents, thickeners, and the like. The surfactant molecules have two or more different moieties comprising: (1) a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain miscible with organic materials and (2) a hydrophilic moiety miscible with water. Surfactants of this type solubilize fat soluble soils via a complex adsorption/emulsification mechanism. This process allows the efficient removal of soil from the body. The surfactants may be classified as anionic, cationic, nonionic or amphoteric depending upon the nature of the hydrophile.
It is desirable that detergent and cleansing compositions have good foam volume and good foam stability, particularly if they are to be used as shampoos. The amount of foam generated by a shampoo composition has a direct bearing on the perceived efficiency with which it cleans the hair. The stability of the foam generated provides an indication to the user as to how long it will keep the hair lathered. Generally speaking, the greater the volume of foam produced and the more stable the foam, the more efficient the perceived cleansing action of the shampoo. In addition, other detergent and cleansing compositions, such as liquid skin cleansers and baby bath compositions, are enhanced by high foam volume and good foam stability.
Furthermore, it is essential that products of this type and in particular a shampoo recommended for use on infants and/or children have low ocular irritation and sting potential.
In the prior art, attempts to achieve such low ocular irritating compositions have been described such as by Masci et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,836 and Bolich et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,251. Such compositions have contained either an amphoteric/anionic reaction product or a betaine/sultaine-anionic blend in combination with ethoxylated nonionics but such formulations, however, have generally exhibited inferior foam volume and stability when compared to traditional shampoo formulations.
It has now been discovered that the aforementioned deficiencies are readily and unexpectedly overcome while maintaining a low level of ocular irritancy by using a novel class of amphoteric and zwitterionic betaine surfactants, so-called "phosphobetaines" and "phosphitaines", alone or in combination with other surfactants. These phosphobetaines and phosphitaines are amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants having at least one phosphorous-containing anion in the molecule as described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 965,461, filed Nov. 30, 1978, and Ser. No. 965,462, filed Nov. 30, 1978.
It is thus an object of the present invention to prepare detergent and cleanser compositions which are effective for personal cleansing of the skin and hair.
It is another object of the present invention to provide detergent and cleansing compositions which provide good foam volume and good foam stability.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide detergent and cleansing compositions which, while being effective cleansing agents for the skin and hair, exhibit low irritancy.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the detailed description given hereinafter.